NPD Coordinator (Graduate)
Hours: Days, 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
GBR Recruitment Ltd are working exclusively witha well-established highly progressive fast-paced food production company based in Northamptonshire, recruiting for a degree qualified (recent Graduate) NPD Coordinator to join their team of foodies.
If you are a graduate with a degree in Food Science or other subject matter, seeking a career within the Food industry, then this is a fantastic chance for you to start your Food journey.
Applications are open to those with some Food industry experience & also to those that would be new to the Food industry but want to move into it & are passionate about the industry.
This is a great chance to come into the business in an NPD capacity, with a view of then developing into a Commercial Manager over the mid to longer term (real defined career path).
Our client specialises in high-quality meat products (cooked), dedicated to providing delicious culinary delights for all their customers, consistently looking at new product development & introduction, keeping up with the latest food trends.
NPD Role Overview:
As the graduate NPD Co-Ordinator, you will be responsible for the end-to-end NPD / NPI process including samples creation & planning, recipe / specifications creation, following the NPD Gate process (from initial brief to trial production). This role will involve collaborating with various teams across the business, ensuring highly efficient & highly effective new product development within a fast-moving industry that is developing & changing all the time.
Duties:
- Coordinate / Manage focused development of new products, including the completion of development costings ensuring they sit within the agreed commercial guidelines.
- Work closely with the Senior Management team, to understand the markets developments & trends, as well as the target consumer profiles / routes to market.
- Research & create new innovative on trend food products, that sit in line with agreed business plans & align with current marketplace developments, showing a real flair & interest in food & culinary trends.
- Challenge existing NPD / NPI processes, re-engineering where necessary (CI focus).
- Effectively manage the NPD / R&D process through the Stage Gate Process through the six main phases, including Discover, Scoping, Define Business Case, Product / Recipe Development, Product Testing, Product Validation & Product Launch / Production.
- Ensure you are up to date with the latest culinary trends via shopping trips, travel, restaurants, exhibitions, market reports, visiting places of interest, reading food journals & magazines to improve your culinary skills & knowledge of food trends.
- Utilise your creative blue-sky approach to food product development & recipe creation.
Qualifications/Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Business Administration, or another related field.
- Knowledge of food industry regulations & food industry standards (preferred)
- You will have some Food manufacturing experience or be looking to get into Food.
- Excellent organisational & time management skills
- Strong attention to detail & problem-solving abilities
- Mathematical / Numerate (decimal places, percentages, etc.)
- Effective communication & collaboration skills
- Knowledge of Excel is necessary.
Graduates Apply Today & Interview ASAP!